A single chance: The grateful shadow
by raging torrent
Summary: When the Shadow is betrayed, he tries to take his own life out of despair. however, when he is rescued, he descovers in an amazing journey that hope and love can be found anywhere . . . Rated T for suggestive material, and possible language.
1. A Storm of Despair

A Single Chance

Ch. 1

Darkrai's POV

I run through the pouring rain, remembering the events that had happened not even a minute ago . . .

"_Celebi."_

A clash of lightning illuminates the path, sandy and wet . . .

"_What did you say?"_

I make it to the beach and throw myself into the surf . . .

"_I said I like Celebi."_

"_No, you said you love her . . ."_

I swim and swim, not wanting to go back . . .

_A flash of power, and the eyes, those beautiful eyes, filled with hate . . ._

Finally, my energy fails me, and I sink into the darkness, the sweet, blessed darkness . . .

Manaphy's POV

As I swam through the sea, feeling happy even as I shot through the ocean, I noticed something black fall through the water. I was about to dismiss it as a small mantine, when I noticed the shock of white and the slowly dimming blue eyes. I gasped, then torpedoed in the dark pokemon's direction. As I did, I franticly thought the word I learned to think if I ever needed help. As I struggled to pick Darkrai up other nearby pokemon swam over to help their prince save a live. We finally broke through, just as the large shadow I was waiting for swept down . . .

Darkrai's POV

I woke up on a surface lighter than air. When I tried to open my eyes, everything was so blurry. "Is this what it feels like to be dead?" I wondered out loud. "You're not dead, Darkrai, but you came pretty close," a thundering voice said. I gasped. That voice . . . it was the voice that I had no heard in such a long time. "R-Rayquaza?" I croaked. Suddenly things were shockingly clear. I saw Rayquaza laying on the floor next to me, smiling his permanent smile. Also there was manaphy, sitting there and humming to herself contentedly. Originally, I had loved her until I found out she loved me back a little too much. Then she vanished from the hall of legends, and I never saw her again until now. Ho-oh was there too, roosting on an oversized nest. Then I saw a fourth pokemon. I had never seen this pokemon before, but the raw power that it radiated told me it was a legendary. It looked like a green hedgehog with a flower pinned to it. Rayquaza followed my gaze. "That's Shaymin. She tries to keep out of the Hall whenever possible." The rest of us were kicked out for not following the crowd." I barely heard his words as I stared at her. The taste of her power was so much like . . . _hers_. She suddenly stirred, her eyes flashing open. "So the sleeping shadow awakes," she said. "Hi, I'm Shaymin." I tried to think of something to say, but the only thing that came out of my mouth was a shy squeak. "You're right, manaphy, he _is_ cute when he's nervous." She came over and gave me a peck on the cheek. My red collar turned an even brighter shade of red. Yes, I, the nightmare pokemon, was blushing. Not a day after my love rejected me, I had found another.

I was in love with Shaymin.


	2. Emotions and a Story

A single chance

Ch. 2

Shaymin's POV

When Manaphy first brought Darkrai into the Sky Pillar, where he has been resting; my first thought was revulsion. This pokemon was darkness-pure darkness. But after a few seconds of alarm and deciding that he was no threat, I probed his aura, just like Lucario taught me. What I sensed surprised me. Though the outer pokemon was shadow, the inside was filled with good mixed with something else-longing. Darkrai was hurt, rejected, and lonely, and I vowed that whoever had done this would pay.  
They would pay for hurting Darkrai.

Rayquaza's POV

All of a sudden I noticed Shaymin was staring at Darkrai with such intensity, I thought she was trying to destroy him in a completely fatal Seed Flare. Just as I was putting up a Reflect, however, I stopped. Shaymin's rage wasn't focused on Darkrai, but something related to him. She noticed my stare and her gaze dropped, blushing furiously. I uttered a low chuckle, causing Shaymin's blush to deepen and Ho-oh to wake up.

Darkrai's POV

I hid my smile at Shaymin's blush, wondering what caused her to do so, while I answered Ho-oh's question about the legendary dogs. "This is unacceptable! I raised those dogs from birth, and you tell me that Suicune and Entei are an item, and Raikou has seduced Zapdos?!? Those three were once noble, but now they have changed so much I now revile them." I hadn't expected a speech about chastity from the pokemon who used to do it with Lugia _all_ the time, no matter what. I quietly laughed while Ho-oh continued her rant, noticing Shaymin was doing the same thing while Rayquaza blushed himself and Manaphy just sat there and smiled. Then the inevitable hit. "So what were you doing out there anyway, trying to drown yourself?" Rayquaza teased. I was silent for a minute, and then uttered a quiet, "yes."

Shaymin's POV

The whole room fell silent. I felt shock registering from every pokemon in the room. Darkrai continued. "I was in the Hall of Legends, watching the two dogs all over each other. It was so loud and annoying, I said, 'Cut it out, you two. Everybody already knows that you can't get enough of each other.' Then Raikou, defending his companions, said, 'that's big talk coming from the guy who doesn't even have a crush on anybody!' those words struck me to my core." Darkrai paused; what he was about to say would be painful.


	3. Story continued

A Single Chance

Ch. 3

Darkrai's POV

"That was where things went wrong. I shot back 'Maybe I do love somebody!' 'Oh yeah? Who?' I was just about to bluff my way out when I noticed something that stopped my heart. Standing there, between Mesprit and Mew, was Celebi. The pokemon I loved. With Mesprit there I couldn't lie. I had no choice. I told the entire Hall who I loved. Who, right afterwards, tried to kill me." I remembered the energy ball that slammed me in the back, almost killing me. When I opened my eyes, I saw Shaymin looking at me in pity. I sighed. "It was Mew who saved me. You know what a peacemaker she is. She healed my wounds and helped me escape before Celebi could finish the job. I ran to the beach and . . ." I didn't need to finish. They knew the rest.

Shaymin's POV

I was in a rage. Celebi. The reason I stayed away from the Hall of Legends in the first place. She didn't like another nature pokemon and got me thrown out by being her charming self. She probably had Darkrai thrown out for the same reason I felt when I first met him. He was a shadow. My green quills bristled with anger. Darkrai and I were both outcasts, which made me feel even more sympathetic towards him. I jumped on his lap when I noticed tears coming from his handsome blue eyes. He started, and then relaxed when I used my Nature Cure Ability to heal his wounds, inside and out. "Thank you, Shaymin," he murmured before falling asleep from the spores in my coat. I laid there on his lap, which was surprisingly warm, and fell asleep hoping for the day when I could take Celebi on myself.

Darkrai's POV

As I waited in a state if half-awareness, I realized that Shaymin was still on my lap, sleeping. I wanted so much to tell her how I felt about her, but after retelling the story, I wasn't quite ready to declare my love again. But when I saw her so agitated, I had to learn about her connection with Celebi. "Do you really want to know?" a voice said, snapping me to full consciousness. I looked behind me, seeing Ho-oh staring at me intensely.


	4. Shaymin's tale

A Single Chance

Ch. 4

Ho-oh's POV

"Know what?" Darkrai responded. "Don't lie to me, shadow! I've known you longer than most others in the Hall. You want to know about Shaymin and Celebi, don't you?" I squawked. "I guess so . . ." Darkrai muttered, embarrassed. I cooled down. "Sorry, Darkrai, I've been on the edge recently. Anyways, the story between Shaymin and Celebi . . . it's a rather short one, or at least what I know of it. Shaymin used to be in the position Celebi was in- loved, feared, and popular. Anything she wanted, she got. Celebi got jealous and started spreading rumors that Shaymin was a tiny green slut that would do any pokemon- even a gulpin. Arceus was fooled completely and banished Shaymin. One good thing did come of this though- Shaymin learned what a jerk she had been. All she wants now is revenge on the pokemon that shamed her."

Darkrai's POV

I found myself pitying the grass pokemon in my lap. We might have been opposite ends of the spectrum, but we were alike in so many ways. "What kind of pokemon is she?" I asked. "She's the Gratitude pokemon." Ho-oh replied. "Whenever somebody feels gratitude near her-" as Ho-oh spoke, a small rose grew near my feet. "Flowers appear." She finished.


End file.
